DVR alert: “Still Standing: The Earl Campbell Story,” the documentary produced by former HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg and NFL Films, airs at 10 p.m. Tuesday on NBC Sports Network.

“Still Standing” airs after a couple of college basketball games, so you might be advised to add extra DVR time just in case the game goes into overtime. It also re-airs Dec. 6 and Dec. 8, and I presume there will be a few more airings throughout December.

I’m glad this film is making it to air. I had several conversations over the years with Ross and with HBO Sports publicist Ray Stallone encouraging HBO to do an Earl Campbell film, but it never worked out. Now, with Greenburg’s departure from HBO to form his own company and Campbell’s willingness, at the urging of his sons Christian and Tyler, to tell his story, it finally has come to pass.

My interest in the Campbell story, as many of you know, stems from the fact that I was able to see him play his first high school game and perhaps a dozen more at our shared alma mater, John Tyler High School, and subsequent games at the University of Texas and, of course, with the Oilers.

That being the case, I had a certain vision of how I hoped the Campbell story would be told. It was heavy on his impact on our hometown and on the unique role I think that he holds in the history of Texas football as a hall of famer on the high school, college and professional levels.

This is not, however, the film that you will see Tuesday night. Ross and HBO Sports did a lot of single-subject biography-style films, including those on Ted Williams, Vince Lombardi, Curt Flood, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, John Unitas and others. This one is significantly different, and there is one obvious reason: The aforementioned subjects are dead, and Earl is very much alive.

While Campbell’s origins in Tyler and his playing career make up a significant portion of the film, the bulk of it is about his post-career struggles with spinal stenosis, the congenital condition that could have led to paralysis had he been hit in a certain fashion during his playing days, and the resulting back surgeries that led to dependence on alcohol and pain-killers that required him to seek assistance a couple of years ago.

I had a lengthy conversation with Campbell in 2006, when he posed for the cover of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine, and it was like talking to a statue. He spoke slowly, his face was expressionless and he clearly was detached from his surroundings. In recent conversations, since getting off pills and alcohol, he is remarkably more responsive, more animated and more engaged. It has been truly a remarkable change, and that’s based on one who has seen him infrequently. I can’t imagine the differences that his family and close friends have observed.

Understandably, in the wake of suggestions that football had destroyed Campbell, and in the wake of so many stories about football players who have suffered head trauma and dementia, the Campbell family wanted to highlight his road back from physical difficulties, and that is the storyline that dominates the story that Ross Greenburg tells.

In some ways, it reminds me of an extended “NFL Films Presents” piece more than an HBO-style documentary. Perhaps that’s because NFL Films worked with Greenburg on the production. At any rate, it has a definitely more contemporary feel to it than the historical period piece that I envisioned.

I still think there’s a place and a time for a film of that type, but “Still Standing” tells a story that is important to Campbell and to his family and that will provide a cheery update to those of you who have clucked over the years about “poor Earl.”

As he says at the end of the film, Earl Campbell is doing OK.

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If nothing else comes out of the departure of Jim Deshaies for the Cubs, it’s going to spur the Astros and Comcast SportsNet Houston into getting something done sooner rather than later on behalf of Bill Brown, Deshaies’ longtime on-air partner.

Both parties apparently have always intended that Brown would return for the 2013 season, the Astros’ first on CSN Houston, but no one really got around to tying up the details.

That’s understandable to a degree. Astros management has been busy with uniform details and rebranding campaigns, and CSNH executives have been working to get the channel on the air and dealing with the complicated – and, yes, unresolved – carriage issues that any new channel faces.

I think it’s probable that Deshaies would have left under any circumstances. His youngest child is in her final year of high school, and the move to Chicago will move him closer to a child who is in law school at the University of Illinois and closer to his family on the East Coast. Plus, it’s a bigger market and an established position on channels with no start-up issues.

The Astros have been noticeably slow in filling their two radio vacancies, and now they and CSN Houston have a TV vacancy to fill as well. The furor over Deshaies’ departure will no doubt spur them to get Brown signed up for next year and to move quickly on the TV front.

I’m guessing that Larry Dierker, Alan Ashby and Steve Sparks are names that are being discussed in great detail these days at Minute Maid Park and at CSNH’s offices at the Houston Pavilions. There may be others as well. I don’t know if the hires will be made before the end of the year, but it could happen. It certainly would be good news for a fan base that could use some holiday cheer.

19 Responses

One of the nicest things about being in Canton for Earl’s induction into the NFL HoF, was meeting his mother Anne, who invited me to her home in Tyler for lunch, on my drive back to Texas. Once there I tasted the best homemade “chow-chow” I’ve ever eaten.

Just watched the Earl Campbell film. Fantastic! I got the chills several times watching the action. I’m from Nacogdoches, Texas (now living in Seattle) and was in Texas when Earl was at UT and then on to the Oilers. I really enjoyed the film. I am very thankful the film was made.

I knew Earl during his early years with the Oilers. This man was the most gentle, kind, compassionate, and sharing person I’ve known, while being the most violent smash mouth football player. What an extreme paradox. Ask Robertson, Waters, Harris, Lambert, Ham, and many others about his attitude while wearing #34, then check out his work with those in need, especially the youth. Earl is a great man that goes way beyond football.

There may be some coaching film of the Longview-John Tyler game from 1971 kicking around somewhere, but I would be surprised. They found some film from the Lufkin game and the championship game against Austin Reagan in 1973 for use in the documentary, but they weren’t able to find anything else.

Sending love to Earl Campbell & his family! I’m so glad they made a documentary on the great Earl Campbell, the Tyler Rose! Earl Campbell is the childhood hero of my partner-in-crime. A couple of years ago, I ordered my p-i-c “The Tyler Rose: The Legend of Earl Campbell DVD” from http://www.earlcampbell.com/EC/Home.html. After I ordered the DVD, I was shocked when I personally got a phone call from Tyler Campbell, Earl Campbell’s son thanking me for my order! I really couldn’t believe how the Campbell’s went above and beyond normal standards of customer service. I really respect that. It’s so good to hear that Earl Campbell is doing better. I wish him & his family the best. Much love to The Tyler Rose! — Love Becca

Which I don’t get(NBC SPORTS Network), but my sister, Barbara, has taped the show and says I can come over anytime and watch it. Which is funny because it’s my oldest sister, Rachel, who is the sports freak!!! I did attend the dedication of Earl Campbell Parkway in Tyler in August. It was hard to see him using a walker and in obvious pain. He and I were delivered by the same doctor, Dr. Earl Kinzie, who Earl was named after. And when Mrs. Campbell was having the twins, she told Dr. Kinzie, “I’m too tired; you name them.” So he took 2 names from the Bible: Stephen and Timothy. I love knowing trivial stories like that!

What’s pretty cool to do is to go to u-tube and watch some old highlight footage of Earl when he was with the oilers. Some when he was still at Texas too in college. Guy was a beast on the football field.